You’ve finally decided upon the tattoo design you want to get. You’ve worked up the courage to go to the tattoo parlor. Forgotten anything? You might want to look into the implications behind your chosen image. It may be beautiful, but what does it mean? The interpretation of tattoos is not an exact science but here are a few widely held associations.

Butterfly Tattoos – The butterfly is linked with the soul in some cultures and butterfly tattoos signify happiness, freedom, fragility, metamorphosis, and beauty.   Many females choose to wear a butterfly tattoo.

Lotus Flower Tattoos – In Buddhism and Hinduism, the lotus flower is a symbol of spiritual awakening. A lotus tattoo is considered by many tattoo enthusiasts to signify life in general and represent the primal struggle of life as demonstrated by the lotus as it emerges through the mud and grows into a thing of great beauty. In turn, this tattoo symbolizes the transformation of a person as he grows into something more spiritually beautiful.

Japanese Koi Fish Tattoos – The Koi symbolizes individualism and strength. The Koi is often complimented with peonies or lotus flowers since those flowers are popular among Japanese tattoo artists.

Dolphin Tattoos – Dolphins are another popular choice in tattoos for the ladies. Dolphins have traditionally been associated with the divine and matters of a spiritual nature.

Dragon Tattoos – In this instance, the interpretation of tattoos will vary according to culture. Dragon tattoos are very popular and symbolize different things to different people in different cultures. In Japan a dragon symbolizes supernatural power, hidden wisdom, and great strength. Old legends say the only way to pass by a dragon is to answer its riddles.

Tiger Tattoos – Tiger tattoos are very beautiful because of their distinctive color. Chinese tiger tattoos are popular choices and are often coupled with dragons; they signify strength and beauty.

Star Tattoos – Star tattoos can have several meanings. A shooting star could symbolize a brief but wondrous moment in one’s life much like catching a magical fleeting glimpse of a star racing across the night sky. A star could also express the wish to be a star, or signify one is seeking his ultimate destiny.

Sun Tattoos – A powerful symbol among all cultures both ancient and modern, the sun symbolizes the ultimate life force and giver of life itself. A sun tattoo is often paired with a tattoo of the moon. This duo is rich in meaning and usually symbolizes the dual nature of life and the interplay of opposites such as Ying and Yang, hot and cold, male and female. The moon and the sun both nourish and sustain our lives in crucial but different ways.

Zodiac Tattoos – Zodiac tattoos are popular and a good choice as a first tattoo. These tattoos can be in the form of a standard zodiac sign or personalized according to individual taste. Their meaning is straightforward and taken from the ancient zodiac itself so there is little room for misunderstanding the interpretation of tattoos when it comes to these zodiac symbols.